Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3208: Chapter 3209: First Trial of the Secret Ceremony Box

Khuntela sniffed the rich scent of wine in the air with some disgust and said, "No, simply drinking wine doesn’t bring me any joy."

It wasn’t that Khuntela didn’t drink; it was just that drinking without eating meat had no meaning.

Aor Shanzhuo clearly understood Khuntela’s preferences and shrugged, "Then there’s no way around it. Although I have snake meat here, I’m not good at roasting. Such marvelous chilled Azure Noble Wine, only I shall enjoy it alone."

After speaking, Aor Shanzhuo took a big sip from the bottle. As the cool wine went down, his already slightly red skin turned completely red.

With just one mouthful, he was affecting his face, showcasing the power of the wine inside the bottle.

Khuntela gave Aor Shanzhuo a cold glance, then turned away, not bothering to pay attention to a drunkard about to pass out.

Compared to Aor Shanzhuo, Khuntela was more interested in Laplace and the others.

Khuntela looked at the misty barrier that blocked air and sight; it had been nearly an hour since Laplace and Angel entered the barrier, yet there was no stir at all.

While Khuntela was puzzled, Angel gazed through the barrier at Aor Shanzhuo.

"So it was wine... that cloud earlier was used for chilling the wine." Angel murmured, "Using a gaseous life form that controls ice and snow as a refrigerator, that’s way too extravagant."

When he saw that floating cloud, he thought it was a servant bought by the Hundred-Dragon Divine Kingdom, but its worth was only in its refrigerator function.

"Isn’t chilling wine just a spell technique? Is it worth making such a big fuss?" Angel couldn’t help but sigh.

"For those who love tasting wine, even the slightest difference in process can change the flavor." Laplace said, "So, in your view, it might just require a spell, but for Aor Shanzhuo, it’s an essential process."

Angel said, "...I don’t understand."

Laplace said, "You can think of it as a sense of ritual. Whether it elevates the taste or not is another matter, but it can elevate his mental state while tasting wine."

Angel pondered, "It sounds like a kind of psychological comfort?"

Laplace said lightly, "It has some effects as a psychological placebo, but not entirely. It’s like cooking; food cooked at low temperatures versus high heat can be done, but with different textures."

Comparing it with food, Angel understood a little more.

Indeed, controlling the heat can change the texture of food, a principle Angel learned from Jon when he was very young.

If one considers wine as food and chilling as controlling the heat, then Aor Shanzhuo’s actions are understandable.

By the way, how does Laplace know so much about wine and food?

Laplace said calmly, "I’ve seen a lot."

The Sea of Void Mirror projects scenes of different worlds; although not every scene contains human traces, whenever there are traces or civilization, food is usually involved.

In the temporal bodies made by Laplace, there were those who loved wine and food, yet none succeeded in ascending, and she placed them in Memory Forest.

However, their memories belong to her too, so it’s normal she knows about them.

"Speaking of food, I remember you bought a tool from the parrot. Aren’t you going to give it a try?" Laplace turned the topic towards Angel.

Angel naturally understood what tool Laplace was talking about—Granny Kekoruo’s Secret Ceremony Box.

He bought this Secret Ceremony Box with the intention to use it.

However, he intended to try it privately... Despite being confident in his culinary trick, neither Greya nor Toby seemed to like his magic bread.

So, he planned to try it privately and later surprise Toby or Greya with delicious bread.

After the surprise, whether he keeps the Secret Ceremony Box for himself or trades it with Greya is another matter.

Anyway, Angel didn’t intend to use the Secret Ceremony Box in front of others.

Earlier, Luigi suggested that Angel demonstrate his cooking skills, but Angel firmly refused; now, it’s not Luigi speaking but Laplace.

This made Angel a bit hesitant.

"I will certainly try, but if the Secret Ceremony Box is to be effective, it requires simultaneous output of ’fixed amounts and fixed rates’ of wind, water, fire elements, and Natural System energy. At the moment, these requirements can’t be met, so it’s not possible to make it." Angel delicately expressed refusal.

Usually, when Laplace senses Angel’s resistance, she would voluntarily give way.

Laplace indeed prepared to do so, but when she saw Angel’s evasive eyes and guilty expression, her words suddenly changed: "No worries, I can simulate four elements at once."

Angel dryly said, "Using the Secret Ceremony Box for the first time, it’s best to be cautious, preferably with four people together to avoid issues..."

Before Angel finished speaking, he saw four figures split off from Laplace.

These four figures looked identical to Laplace, with the only difference being the clothes they wore.

A short skirt with flames burning on it.

A puff skirt surrounded by breeze and accompanied by mist.

A water-colored long dress that made the wearer look like transparent glass.

And, a grass skirt entwined with vines and connected leaves.

These four different LAPLACE figures evidently represented four different elements, now standing obediently behind the original Laplace, gazing at Angel with clear eyes.

Seeing the four-element Laplace appear, Angel’s expression slightly froze.

He actually wanted to resist a bit more, but with words spoken to this point, Laplace found four people, making it difficult for him to find a reason to refuse. He could only awkwardly smile, "Uh, in that case, shall I give it a try?"

Laplace nodded casually.

If Angel resisted further, Laplace might have changed the subject. But since Angel decided to try, then try... though Angel didn’t appear very willing.

Angel slowly took out the Secret Ceremony Box.

Then he retrieved the consumables for transmutation from his bracelet. — The only culinary trick he could perform was the magic bread. This trick didn’t actually need consumables; magic power could directly serve as the medium. However, using consumables could reduce magic power consumption.

Yet, magic bread is a very low-level trick with minimal magic power consumption, so Angel chooses consumables purely to procrastinate.

If Luigi contacted Laplace before Angel used the Secret Ceremony Box, maybe he could stop making the dish here?

Of course, Angel wouldn’t rely solely on procrastination.

His slow, meticulous preparation for various "pre-casting moves" was also meant to "show off a little."

Previously, when he made magic bread, it was rushed, always using pure magic transmutation which led Greya to criticize its taste.

Perhaps the problem is in the process. If he takes his time, slows his actions, and prepares the consumables precisely, maybe the final result will be astonishingly good.

Anyway, Angel definitely does not acknowledge that his culinary talent is lacking.

Angel prepared the material: Magic Marrow Meat.

Magic Marrow Meat was gifted to him by Greya; it’s a very special ingredient that continuously grows by itself. Although its taste is quite bland, it is edible and satisfying, and with proper consumption, it can last forever. Just this trait alone is quite remarkable.

In some worlds with harsh survival environments, its existence can even save a race.

This shows its value.

Otherwise, with Greya’s discerning eye, how could she add Magic Marrow Meat to her collection?

Angel chose Magic Marrow Meat as the material to transform it into Magic Bread, under the belief that "food transforming into food can’t possibly taste bad."

Moreover, Magic Marrow Meat doesn’t emit any energy fluctuations, and its appearance resembles transparent jelly, so it won’t attract Laplace’s attention. When the time comes and he really creates a delicious bread, Laplace won’t think about the Magic Marrow Meat.

This shows Angel’s seriousness in using the Secret Ceremony Box; he considered every aspect.

After all, for him, this is a major "battle" concerning his reputation.

After slowly preparing all the materials, he wiped the casing of the Secret Ceremony Box and pretended to sense the situation inside the box.

After five minutes, seeing that there was still no news from Luigi’s side, Angel finally raised his head and said to Laplace: "The preparations are done, the four elements can return to their positions."

Laplace nodded indifferently, waved his hand, and four differently dressed Laplace figures stood at the four corners of the Secret Ceremony Box.

"Is it about to start?" Laplace asked, while the four elemental Laplace figures began emitting different elemental auras.

Angel coughed slightly: "Wait a moment."

Laplace raised an eyebrow.

Angel: "Since it’s the first attempt, there might be some coordination issues. For instance, output rate and output energy level, these might lead to issues with the final result."

Even though Angel is quite confident, to be safe, he decided to set expectations in advance.

Laplace pondered for a moment and asked: "What culinary trick do you plan to use?"

Angel tilted his head slightly and whispered: "Start with the most basic trick, which is... Magic Bread."

If Greya were here and heard Angel say this, she’d probably roll her eyes skyward: As if you know any other culinary tricks?

Laplace didn’t know the depth of Angel’s culinary tricks and felt that Angel choosing the most basic trick to try was fine.

After all, no one knows the ultimate effect of the Secret Ceremony Box; if it really delivers a "mutation" effect as the parrot said due to making complex foods, that would be bad.

Although the parrot also said: "The maker of the Secret Ceremony Box perhaps intended the food to mutate; mutation is a positive direction."

But this is just the parrot’s wishful speculation.

If it mutates into the foul-smelling black mist the parrot once encountered, even tainting the soul with a stench, that wouldn’t be good.

It’s still advisable to start with the lowest level of Magic Bread.

Generally, such low-level tricks won’t cause any problems.

With this "beautiful vision," Laplace agreed with Angel and nodded: "Magic Bread is indeed a good choice. I’ll let them control the elemental output, keeping it as consistent with Magic Bread’s energy level as possible. You go ahead and cast."

With Laplace’s strong support, Angel finally decided to take action.

Following the parrot’s usage guidelines, he first let the four elemental Laplace figures activate the Secret Ceremony Box.

As the elements were released, the symbols on the four sides of the Secret Ceremony Box lit up.

Leaping orange flames, calm blue water, swirling pink wind, and pale green vines, these now appeared in tangible forms.

From the box’s surface, they leapt into the air.

This scene also represents the complete activation of the Secret Ceremony Box’s ritual.

After confirming everything was correct, Angel finally stood forward, holding the Magic Marrow Meat in one hand and placing the other hand at the opening of the Secret Ceremony Box, constructing the Magic Bread model in his Mind Space...

...

While Angel was using the Secret Ceremony Box, Aor Shanzhuo was leisurely savoring the delicious Azure Noble Wine, opposite the expressionless Khuntela.

"Don’t keep staring at the barrier, be careful not to anger her... hic." Aor Shanzhuo told Khuntela, while letting out a long wine belch.

The reason Aor Shanzhuo said this is because Khuntela kept watching the barrier. They couldn’t see what’s happening inside the barrier, but that doesn’t mean those inside the barrier, like Laplace and others, can’t see outside.

If Laplace gets angry due to Khuntela’s gaze, they wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Khuntela thought for a moment, didn’t argue, and withdrew his gaze.

However, not long after he withdrew his gaze, he suddenly turned back to look at the barrier.

"What now?" Aor Shanzhuo asked in confusion.

Khuntela hesitated and said: "It seems I just felt an elemental energy fluctuation..."

"What’s the big deal about elemental energy fluctuations? Didn’t the ice cloud that served me wine have those fluctuations too?" Aor Shanzhuo replied displeased.

Khuntela shook his head: "It’s different, I always feel a bit uneasy."

"Uneasy? What’s there to be uneasy about?"

For a moment, Khuntela couldn’t say, he just felt a sense of foreboding swirling in his emotions, as if something bad was about to happen.

And based on Khuntela’s judgment, the source of this sign was from within the impenetrable barrier.

But inside the barrier is that being... with her presence, how could anything bad happen?

"It should just be a misperception, right?" Khuntela comforted himself.

If Aor Shanzhuo weren’t drinking, maybe he’d provide a slightly rational judgment, but now he’s already tipsy, hearing Khuntela say ’it’s a misperception,’ he casually agreed: "Definitely a misperception, don’t overthink it, later I’ll ask someone from the Crystal Eye Clan to cook earth snake meat, I hear they have secret recipes that can make..."

Before Aor Shanzhuo finished speaking, he suddenly saw a gap appear in the barrier not far away.

At the gap, Laplace and Angel’s shadows appeared.

But less than half a second later, their shadows disappeared.

Immediately following that, from the gap that opened, rolled out a wave of billowing black mist...